Upper frame assembly

ABSTRACT

An upper frame assembly for a skid steer loader machine includes a pair of spaced tower assemblies. Each of a pair of side members has a rear end portion connected to a respective tower assembly so that a front end portion of the side members extends longitudinally from the tower assemblies. A crossmember assembly extends between the pair of tower assemblies at a position between the front and rear end portions of the side members. The crossmember assembly and front end portions of the side members define an open access area. The crossmember assembly and rear end portions of the side members define an open service area. Both the open access area and open service area are unobstructed by structural elements of the upper frame assembly.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to a frame assembly for a skid steelloader machine and more particularly to an upper frame assembly utilizedtherein.

BACKGROUND ART

Skid steer loader machines are manufactured to provide a compact workmachine which is maneuverable and durable in various applications. Someskid steer loader machine frames are designed to isolate the forcesincurred during operation. Other skid steer loader machine frames aredesigned to facilitate efficient assembly of various components. Thereis always a continuing need for improved methods of manufacturing andassembling skid steer loader machines due to high demand and competitiveforces. Such improvements should include decreased manufacturing andassembly time and costs coupled with increased durability of the skidsteer loader machines.

Some skid steer loader machines use a loader body or lower frameassembly in conjunction with a subframe or upper frame assembly todefine a main frame assembly for the loader machine. The upper frameassembly typically has an upright fabrication and is mounted to thelower frame assembly so that the upright fabrication partially enclosesthe engine.

A design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,728 issued to John P. Heggenon Jul. 22, 1975 includes a subframe with a pair of laterally spaced,longitudinally extending side beams joined at the front by a firstcrossmember and at the rear by an upright fabrication including a secondcrossmember. The manufacture of this subframe establishes a boxlikestructure. Similarly, an upper frame assembly design disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,955,455 issued to Larry E. Albright et al. on Sep. 11, 1990utilizes a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally spaced sidebeams which are joined at the front by a front crossmember and at therear by an upright fabrication with a rear crossmember. Both upper frameassembly designs incorporate the use of a crossmember at the frontthereof which blocks access from the outside of the machine to theupright fabrication between the side beams. Additionally, both designshave limited access at the rear of the upper frame assembly due to theupright fabrications and crossmembers therebetween. Lack of access atthe front and rear of the upper frame assembly increases the time andeffort necessary in the subassembly of components on the upper frameassembly. Furthermore, connection efficiency and serviceability ofsubassembly components may be limited during assembly and maintenance ofthe machine.

The present invention is directed to overcoming the problems as setforth above.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In an aspect of the present invention, an upper frame assembly isdisclosed which is used in a skid steer loader machine. The skid steerloader machine has front and rear end portions and a centerline whichextends along its midsection. A pair of spaced tower assemblies arepositioned on opposite sides of the machine centerline. Each towerassembly defines a spatial region. A pair of side members each havefront and rear end portions. The rear end portion of the side members isrespectively disposed within a portion of each of the spatial regionsand connected to the tower assemblies. The front end portion of the sidemembers extend longitudinally from the tower assemblies. A crossmemberassembly extends between the pair of tower assemblies for connectiontherewith. The crossmember assembly is positioned to define with thefront end portions of the side members an open access area at the frontend portion of the upper frame assembly. The open access area isunobstructed by structural elements of the upper frame assembly so thatan open pathway is established from an area outside the upper frameassembly to the crossmember assembly between the side members. Thecrossmember assembly is positioned to define with the rear end portionsof the side members and the pair of tower assemblies an open servicearea at the rear end portion of the upper frame assembly. The openservice area is separated from the open access area by the crossmemberassembly therebetween.

The present invention includes a upper frame assembly with an openaccess area at a front end portion and an open service area at a rearend portion. The open access area is defined between the front endportions of the side members and is unobstructed by structural elementsof the upper frame assembly. The ability to manufacture an upper frameassembly with the open access and service areas increases assemblyefficiency while enhancing connection and serviceability of varioussubassembly components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one side of a skid steerloader machine in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lower frame assembly utilized in theskid steer loader machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3--3 of the lower frame assembly shownin FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an upper frame assembly utilized in theskid steer loader machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the upper frame assembly shown in FIG. 4,including internal structure thereof;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the upper frame assembly shown in FIG. 4,including open access and service areas;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a bumper assembly utilized in the skidsteer loader machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the subassembly of the lower frameassembly shown in FIG. 2, including hydraulic motors, axles, steps, andengine with hydraulic pump;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the subassembled lower frame assemblyincluding the subassembly components mounted therein;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the subassembly of the upper frameassembly shown in FIG. 4, including lift arm assembly and coolingsystem;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the subassembled upper frame assemblyincluding the subassembly components mounted therein;

FIG. 12 is an perspective, exploded view of a main frame assemblydefined by the upper and lower frame assemblies and shown withoutsubassembly components therein for simplification of viewing;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the main frame assembly without thesubassembly components of the upper and lower frame assemblies forviewing simplification;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the main frame assembly with thesubassembly components of the upper and lower frame assemblies and abumper assembly exploded therefrom;

FIG. 15 is a partial, diagrammatic perspective view of the bumperassembly shown in FIG. 7 connected to the lower frame assembly with theupper frame assembly and subassembly components of the lower frameassembly removed for viewing simplification; and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the main frame assembly with the bumperassembly attached thereto and a rear door and cab exploded therefrom.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof has been shown by wayof example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit theinvention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a work machine 10, commonly known asa skid steer loader, which incorporates the features of the presentinvention therein. As shown, the loader machine 10 has a generalcenterline 14 running substantially along the midsection thereof andfront and rear end portions 18,22. The loader machine 10 includes alower frame assembly 26 and an upper frame assembly 30 which are mountedtogether to define a main frame assembly 34. The loader machine 10 iscontrolled by an operator (not shown) from within an operator'scompartment 40. Through a joystick device (not shown), the operator (notshown) controls the loader machine 10 in a specific manner to achieveindependent movement of a pair of wheels 44 located on respective sidesof the loader machine 10.

The assembly of the loader machine 10 begins with the manufacture of thelower frame assembly 26, illustrated in FIGS. 2-3, prior to mountingwith the upper frame assembly 30. The lower frame assembly 26 has frontand rear end portions 48,52. The lower frame assembly 26 includes a pairof spaced, vertically oriented metallic side rails 56,60 which should bemanufactured from a high strength steel. The side rails 56,60 extendalong the entire length of the lower frame assembly 26 and have aplurality of mounting holes, some of which are shown at 64, definedtherealong. The pair of side rails 56,60 each have front and rear endportions 70,74 defined respectively with the front and rear end portions18,22 of the loader machine 10, and an intermediate portion 78 disposedbetween the front and rear portions 70,74 of the side rails 56,60. Thefront end portions 70 of the side rails 56,60 have a height (H) which isgreater than the height (h) of the rear end and intermediate portions74,78. A gradual increase in height of the side rails 56,60 occurs at asection 82 of the intermediate portion 78 which terminates at the frontend portion 70. The pair of spaced side rails 56,60 are formed with asubstantial ninety degree angle with a smooth bend radius ofapproximately 20 mm to define side and bottom walls 86,88 of the siderails 56,60. It should be understood that although a specific bendradius is described, any suitable bend radius may be used. A metallicconnecting wall 90 extends transversely between the side rails 56,60 andis welded thereto. A substantially angled metallic supporting wall 94 iswelded to the connecting wall 90 and side rails 56,60 and extendsupwardly therefrom and therebetween, respectively. The connecting wall90 and supporting wall 94 define a front wall 100 of the loader machine10. As seen more clearly in FIG. 3, the connecting wall 90 is formedwith an angled portion 102 of approximately thirty degrees to providethe front wall 100 with an acute angled surface with respect to theground (not shown). The mounting holes 64 extend substantiallyequidistantly along the length of the side rails 56,60 and terminateprior to connection between the side rails 56,60 and the connecting andsupporting walls 90,94 to establish a clearance area 104 for the frontwall 100, as seen in FIG. 2. The front end portion 70 of the side rails56,60 are formed to correspond with the angularity of the supportingwall 94. The supporting wall 94 is formed at an upper region 110 todefine a substantial inverted u-shape area 114 with a planar uppersurface 118, seen more clearly in FIG. 3. An upper reinforcing plate 122is welded between the angled portion and the inverted u-shape area 114of the supporting wall 94 to form a crosstube structure between the siderails 56,60. A pair of spaced cab mounts 130 is defined on the uppersurface 118 of the supporting wall 94. Access to the cab mounts 130 isdefined through the upper reinforcing plate 122 (not visible on thedrawings). A plurality of step mount openings 134 extend through a frontsurface 138 of the supporting wall 94 at the angled portion thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a horizontally oriented front protectiveplate 142 is welded to the connecting wall 90 and extends rearwardlybetween the side rails 56,60. It should be understood that the frontprotective plate 142 forms the bottom plate or belly of the loadermachine 10. The front protective plate 142 is seated on a top surface ofthe bottom wall 88 and welded to the side rails 56,60. It should benoted that the weld between the front protective plate 142 and the siderails 56,60 may be of any suitable type, such as a lap weld.

A fuel tank 150 is made from metallic material and is assembledintegrally with the lower frame assembly 26. A pair of opposed front andrear side plates 154,156 extend transversely between the side rails56,60 in a spaced relationship from one another and are welded to thebottom wall 88 of the side rails 56,60 and the front protective plate142 to define therewith a bottom wall (not shown) of the fuel tank 150.A top plate 160 is welded to the side rails 56,60 and pair of front andrear side plates 154,156 in an spaced relationship with the bottom wall(not shown) of the fuel tank 150. The top plate 160 and front and rearside plates 154,156 are connected between the side rails 56,60 so that aportion of the side rails 56,60 form outer walls 164 of the fuel tank150. The assembled fuel tank 150 establishes a container for fuelstorage which is sealed by the welds between the side rails 56,60,protective plate 142, front and rear side plates 154,156, and top plate160. It should be understood that fuel may be added to or drained fromthe fuel tank 150 in any suitable manner, such as a respective fill anddrain disposed therein.

A pair of spaced transmission housings, one of which is shown at 170,are made from a metallic material and are assembled integrally with thelower frame assembly 26. A pair of elongated metallic plates 174,176 arepositioned on opposite sides of the loader machine centerline 14 forextension along a respective side rail 56,60 between the front wall 100and fuel tank 150. The plate 174 is seated on the bottom wall 88 of theside rails 56,60 at a vertical orientation and spaced relationshiptherefrom. The plate 176 is seated on the plate 174 at a horizontalorientation therefrom for extension between the plate 174 and side rails56,60. The plates 174,176 are welded together and with the side rails56,60 to form respective inner side walls 178 and top walls 180 of thetransmission housings 170. A portion of the bottom and side walls 86,88of the side rails 56,60 defines a respective bottom wall 182 and outerside wall 186 of the transmission housings 170. The transmissionhousings 170 each have front and rear end portions 190,192 which arewelded to the respective connecting wall 90 and front side plate 154 ofthe fuel tank 150. The connecting wall 90 and front side plate 154enclose the front and rear end portions 190,192 of the transmissionhousings 170. The welded relationship between the side rails 56,60,front wall 100, front protective plate 142, fuel tank 150, andtransmission housings 170 defines a partially enclosed forwardcompartment 194 with a box-like structure between the pair oftransmission housings 170. It should be understood that drainage fromthe forward compartment 194 may be defined within the structure of thelower frame assembly 26 or in any suitable manner. The inner side wall178 of each of the transmission housings 170 defines a motor opening 200and pair of axle access openings, one of which is shown at 204. Theouter side wall 186 of each of the transmission housings 170 defines apair of axle opening, one of which is shown at 208, coaxially alignedwith the respective axle access openings 204 on the inner side walls178.

A pair of spaced engine mounting structures, one of which is shown at224, are connected to the top plate 160 of the fuel tank 150. Each oneof the pair of engine mounting structures 224 defines a mounting hole226 therethrough. Each one of the pair of engine mounting structures 224and respective mounting holes 226 are positioned in a spatialrelationship with a respective one of the pair of side rails 56,60. Theengine mounting structures 224 include an elongated tower portion 228enclosed at a top surface by a roof portion 236 defining the opening 226therethrough. The roof portion 236 of each of the engine mountingstructures 224 has a spatial relationship with the top plate 160 of thefuel tank 150. The top plate 160 of the fuel tank 150 is formed todefine a depressed area 244 disposed between the pair of engine mountingstructures 224.

A horizontally oriented rear protective plate 270 is connected to theside wall 156 of the fuel tank 150 and extends rearwardly therefrom apredetermined distance. The rear protective plate 270 is positionedbetween the side rails 56,60 for connection therewith to define arearward compartment 276 which has a slightly higher elevation from theground (not shown) than the forward compartment 194. The rear protectiveplate 270 includes a pair of spaced lower bumper mounting holes, one ofwhich is shown at 280, extending therethrough. A bolt access hole 284 isdefined through the rear protective plate 270 and positioned between thepair of lower bumper mounting holes 280. An angled reinforcing plate 290is connected to the front protective plate 142 in a location rearwardfrom the fuel tank 150 for support of the rear protective plate 270 atthe rear end portion 52 of the lower frame assembly 26. A pair ofopposed back flanges 294 are positioned at the rear end portion 52 ofthe lower frame assembly 26. Each back flange 294 is positioned andconnected at one end of a respective side rail 56,60 opposite the frontwall 100. The back flanges 294 extend laterally from the side rails56,60 a predetermined distance for connection along the rear protectiveplate 270. Each of the back flanges 294 has an upper bumper mountinghole therethrough, one of which is shown at 300.

Additionally, the upper frame assembly 30 is manufactured prior tomounting on the lower frame assembly 26, as is shown in FIGS. 4-6, andhas front and rear end portions 304,308. The manufacture of the upperframe assembly 30 may be simultaneous with the manufacture of the lowerframe assembly 26 for obvious efficiency considerations. A pair ofspaced tower assemblies 312,314 are positioned on opposite sides of theloader machine centerline 14. Each of the pair of tower assemblies312,314 include metallic inner and outer plates 320,324. The outerplates 324 are formed for welded connection with the inner plates 320 todefine a spatial region 330 therebetween. The inner plates 320 each havea contoured air flow area 332 defined therein. The inner and outerplates 320,324 each have a predetermined height and width. Each of thepair of tower assemblies 312,314 define upper and middle pinjointopenings 334,338 which extend through the inner and outer plates320,324. Each of the pair of tower assemblies 312,314 are rigidlysupported by a plurality of metallic strengthening members, some ofwhich are shown at 342, welded between the inner and outer plates320,324, seen more clearly in FIG. 5. A pair of metallic side members350,354 extend along the entire length of the upper frame assembly 30and have a shorter length than the length of the side rails 56,60 of thelower frame assembly 26. Each one of the pair of side members 350,354are welded to a respective tower assembly 312,314 by disposing a rearend portion 360 of the side members 350,354 within a portion of thespatial regions 330 to define a pair of side assemblies. A front endportion 364 of the side members 350,354 extends longitudinally from eachof the pair of tower assemblies 312,314. Each of the pair of sidemembers 350,354 are formed to define a side wall 370 with a plurality ofmounting holes, some of which are shown at 374, which extendsubstantially equidistantly along the length of the upper frame assembly30. An upper wall 376 of the side members 350,354 is substantiallyperpendicular with the side wall 370 and includes a bent flange 378which extends substantially along the length of the upper frame assembly30. The bent flange 378 has a mounting surface 382 substantiallyparallel with the side wall 370 and spaced therefrom. Each of the innerplates 320 of the pair of tower assemblies 312,314 is welded to theupper wall 376 of the respective side member 350,354 along a portion ofthe length thereof. Each of the outer plates 324 of the pair of towerassemblies 312,314 has a middle portion 392 which is welded to the bentflange 378 at the mounting surface 382 of the respective side member350,354 along a portion of the length thereof. A lower portion 396 ofthe outer plates 324 is welded to the side wall 370 through one of theplurality of strengthening members 342 connected therebetween to definea fender compartment 400, seen more clearly in FIG. 6. The outer plates324 of the pair of tower assemblies 312,314 have a contoured shape whichcorresponds to a contoured section 404 of each of the side walls 370 ofthe side members 350,354 at a location proximate the connection with theside walls 370. The side wall 370 of the side members 350,354 has aheight which increases at the contoured section 404 of the side walls370. A support plate 410 is connected to each of the side walls 370 ofthe side members 350,354 at the front end portion 364 thereof.

A crossmember assembly 414 is connected between the pair of sideassemblies, consisting of the tower assemblies 312,314 and side members350,354, for exclusive connection therebetween. The crossmember assembly414 is positioned between the front and rear end portions 364,360 of theside members 350,354 so that the side members 350,354 are independentlyspaced from one another at the front and rear end portions 364,360 tofacilitate connection with the respective side rails 56,60 of the lowerframe assembly 26. The crossmember assembly 414 includes upper and lowercrossmembers 420,424 which are formed metallic plates with a channelshape. A frame structure 428 is partially defined by the inner plates320 of the tower assemblies 312,314 and includes a cross plate 432 whichextends between the inner plates 320. The upper and lower crossmembers420,424 are welded to the frame structure 428 along the cross plate 432for connection between the inner plates 320. The upper crossmember 420has an upper substantially planar surface 436. The crossmember assembly414 is positioned to define with the front end portions 364 of the sidemembers 350,354 an open access area 440 at the front end portion 304 ofthe upper frame assembly 30 between the independent side members350,354. The open access area 440 is unobstructed by structural elementsof the upper frame assembly 30 so that the front end portions 364 of theside members 350,354 have no connection therebetween. The crossmemberassembly 414 is positioned to define with the rear end portions 360 ofthe side members 350,354 and the pair of tower assemblies 312,314 anopen service area 450 at the rear end portion 308 of the upper frameassembly 30 which is separated from the open access area 440 by thecrossmember assembly 414. The open service area 450 has a height anddepth substantially equal to the respective height and width of theouter plates 324 of the tower assemblies 312,314 and is substantiallyunobstructed by structural elements of the upper frame assembly 30. Theopen access and service areas 440,450 can be seen more clearly in FIG.6. An assembly access opening 454 is defined on each of the side walls370 at the rear end portion 360 of the side members 350,354 and allowsaccess between the open service area 450 and the fender compartment 400.The cross plate 432 defines an open region 460 between the upper andlower crossmembers 420,424 which provides access and air communicationbetween the open access area 440 and open service area 450. A cabmounting structure 464 is connected on each of the inner plates 320 ofthe tower assemblies 312,314 within the frame structure 428 at ajuncture between the upper surface 436 of the upper crossmember 420 andthe cross plate 432.

Additionally, a bumper assembly 470 is manufactured, as shown in FIG. 7,which may be simultaneous to the manufacture of the lower and upperframe assemblies 26,30. The bumper assembly 470 includes opposedmetallic upper and lower plates 474,478 and opposed metallic inner andouter side plates 482,490. The outer side plate 490 is formed to connectthe upper, lower, and inner side plates 474,478,482 to establish asubstantial box-like structure. The lower plate 478 has an integralflanged portion 494 which extends forwardly of the inner side plate 482.The inner side plate 482 has a pair of spaced upper bumper mountingopenings, one of which is shown at 500. The flanged portion 494 of thelower plate 478 includes a pair of lower bumper mounting openings, oneof which is shown at 504. A recessed clearance area 510 is definedwithin the boxlike structure of the bumper assembly 470. An enginestabilizing structure 514 is connected at the flanged portion 494 of thelower plate 478 and is partially disposed within the clearance area 510.The engine stabilizing structure 514 and the engine mounting structures224 are operatively associated to define an engine mounting andstabilizing arrangement 516 for the loader machine 10. The enginestabilizing structure 514 includes a boss 520 which is welded to theflanged portion 494 at a substantial midpoint 524 of the bumper assembly470. It should be understood that the engine stabilizing structure 514does not need to be disposed within the clearance area 510 to accomplishthe purpose of the invention.

A method 530 for assembling the loader machine 10 includes manufacturingthe lower and upper frame assemblies 26,30 (as described above).Additionally, the lower and upper frame assemblies 26,30 aresubassembled with various components prior to their being mountedtogether.

As can be seen in FIGS. 8-9, the subassembly of the lower frame assembly26 includes providing a pair of hydraulic motors 534 and a plurality ofaxles, some of which are shown at 538. The hydraulic motors 534 aremounted on each of the respective inner side walls 178 of thetransmission housings 170 for partial extension through the respectivemotor openings 200. A pair of the plurality of axles 538 are mounted oneach of the respective outer side walls 186 of the transmission housings170. Each of the plurality of axles 538 includes an axle shaft 542 onone end which is rotatably disposed within each of the axle mountingopenings 208 and a wheel mount 546 on an end opposite the axle shaft542. The hydraulic motors 534 are coupled within the respectivetransmission housing 170 to the axle shafts 542 of the respective pairof axles 538 for driving connection by means of a sprocket and chainlinkage (not shown). A cover plate 550 is then secured to each of theside rails 56,60 at the defined outer wall 186 of the transmissionhousings 170. A pair of step assemblies 554 are mounted at the frontwall 100 by a plurality of bolts assemblies (not shown) which extendthrough the step openings 134 and supporting wall 94. The stepassemblies 554 are positioned to facilitate an operator's (not shown)entry into the loader machine 10. It should be understood that at thistime, various other subassembly components, such as linkages, pedals,valves, electrical lines, and the like, may also be assembled into thelower frame assembly 26.

Next, an engine 560 with front and rear end portions 564,568 isassembled with a hydraulic pump assembly 572. The hydraulic pumpassembly 572 is connected in a cantilevered manner to a flywheel (notshown) at the rear end portion 568 of the engine 560. The engine 560 ismounted in-line within the lower frame assembly 26 and aligned in aparallel relationship with the side rails 56,60. An oil pan 580 of theengine is seated within the depressed region 244 of the fuel tank 150.The rear end portion 568 of the engine 560 is resiliently mounted to thepair of engine mounting structures 224 by a pair of resiliently mountedbrackets 586. The mounting brackets 586 are connected to a mountingblock 588 extending from a flywheel housing 589 of the engine 560. Theresilient mounting may be accomplished in any suitable manner, such asby using a typical bolt and nut assembly in conjunction with a vibrationdampening elastomeric material. The mounting brackets 586 may be of anysuitable design and include a curved structure 590 which allows forhorizontal bolting of the mounting brackets 586 with the engine 560 andvertical bolting of the mounting brackets 586 with the engine mountingstructures 224. The rear end portion 568 of the engine 560 at thehydraulic pump assembly 572 extends from the rearward compartment 276 tothe forward compartment 252 of the lower frame assembly 26. Thehydraulic pump assembly 572 is then fluidly connected by a plurality ofhoses (not shown) to each of the hydraulic motors 534. The fuel tank 150is fluidly connected by a fuel line (not shown) to the engine 560.

As can be seen in FIGS. 10-11, the subassembly of the upper frameassembly 30 includes rotatably mounting a lift arm assembly 596 betweenthe inner and outer plates 320,324 of each of the pair of towerassemblies 312,314 at the upper and middle pin joint openings 334,338 ina well-known manner. A coupling mechanism 600 is mounted with the liftarm assembly 596 prior to mounting on the upper frame assembly 30. Acooling system 604 is mounted to the upper frame assembly 30 andincludes a hydraulic tank 610 and radiator assembly 614. The hydraulictank 610 is mounted to the crossmember assembly 414 between the pair oftower assemblies 312,314 adjacent the open access area 440 in a spacedrelationship from the open region 460. The radiator assembly 614 ispivotally mounted for movement between operational and servicepositions, shown at FIGS. 1 and 14, respectively, and located within theopen service area 450 between the pair of tower assemblies 312,314. Aplurality of hydraulic lines (not shown) are positioned between theinner and outer plates 320,324 of the tower assemblies 312,314 andconnected with the lift arm assembly 596 for operation thereof. Itshould be understood that at this time, various other subassemblycomponents, such as a joystick, valves, and the like, may also beassembled into the upper frame assembly 30.

The upper frame assembly 30 is dropped onto and connected with the lowerframe assembly 26 upon completion of the respective subassemblies (asdescribed above).

The upper frame assembly 30 and the lower frame assembly 26 of the mainframe assembly 34 are shown prior to connection in FIG. 12 and shownconnected in FIG. 13. The subassembly components of both the upper andlower frame assemblies 30,26 have been removed to more clearly show theconnection between the upper and lower frame assemblies 30,26. The upperframe assembly 30 is mounted to the lower frame assembly 26 by aplurality of bolt and nut assemblies, one of which is shown at 620, todefine the main frame assembly 34. The bolts extend horizontally throughthe respective openings 374,64 in the side members 350,354 of the upperframe assembly 30 and the respective side rails 56,60 of the lower frameassembly 26 for tightening with the nuts to define an exclusivehorizontal bolted connection therebetween for establishment of the mainframe assembly 34. The horizontal bolted connection extendssubstantially along the entire length of both the upper and lower frameassemblies 30,26 and corresponding length of the loader machine 10 andis the only connection between the lower and upper frame assemblies26,30. As seen in FIG. 13, a front compartment 624 of the main frameassembly 34 is defined by the forward compartment 194 of the lower frameassembly 26 and the open access area 440 between the side members350,354 at the front end portion 364 of the upper frame assembly 30. Arear compartment 630 of the main frame assembly 34 is defined by therearward compartment 276 of the lower frame assembly 26 and the openservice area 450 between the side members 350,354 and the towerassemblies 312,314 at the rear end portion 360 of the upper frameassembly 30. The rear compartment 630 is separated from the frontcompartment 624 by the crossmember assembly 414 therebetween andpositioned at a slightly higher elevation from the ground than the frontcompartment 624. The frame structure 428 of the crossmember assembly 414defines with the top plate 160 of the fuel tank 150 an open engineregion 636 which provides access between the rear compartment 630 andthe front compartment 624. The rear end portion 568 of the engine 560 atthe hydraulic pump assembly 572 extends from the rear compartment 630 tothe front compartment 624 through the open engine region 636. The pairof spaced engine mounting structures 224 connected to the top plate 160of the fuel tank 150 are positioned within the rear compartment 630. Therear compartment 630 has a substantially unobstructed height and depthsubstantially equal to the respective height and width of the outerplates 324 of the tower assemblies 312,314. The rear compartment 630 issubstantially unobstructed by any structural elements of the lower andupper frame assemblies 26,30 excluding a partial obstruction created bya portion of the fuel tank 150.

Once the upper and lower frame assemblies 30,26 are connected with allthe subassembly components, as seen in FIG. 14, the cooling system 604is fluidly connected with the engine 560 and hydraulic pump assembly 572through a plurality of hydraulic lines (not shown).

The bumper assembly 470, shown previously in FIGS. 7, is mounted to themain frame assembly 34, seen more clearly in FIGS. 15-16. In order tomore clearly view the mounting of the bumper assembly 470 to the mainframe assembly 34, the upper frame assembly 30 with subassembledcomponents therein and subassembled components of the lower frameassembly 26 have been removed in FIG. 15. The inner side plate 482 ofthe bumper assembly 470 is connected to the back flanges 294 of thelower frame assembly 26 through a pair of bolts, one of which is shownat 640, which extend through the upper bumper mounting holes 300 andupper bumper mounting openings 500. The lower plate 478 of the bumperassembly 470 is mounted to the rear protective plate 270 of the lowerframe assembly 26 through a pair of bolt and nut assemblies, one ofwhich is shown at 646, which extend through the lower bumper mountingholes 280 and lower bumper mounting openings 504 for fasteningtherebetween. The connection of the bumper assembly 470 to the mainframe assembly 34 occurs exclusively at the lower frame assembly 26. Thefront portion 564 of the engine 560 is resiliently connected to theengine stabilizing structure 514 on the bumper assembly 470 through aresiliently connected stabilizer bracket 650. The resilient connectionmay be accomplished in any suitable manner, such as by using a typicalbolt and nut assembly in conjunction with a vibration dampeningelastomeric material. The stabilizer bracket 650 may be of any suitabledesign and includes a curved structure 654 which allows for horizontalbolting of the stabilizer bracket 650 with the engine 560 and verticalbolting of the stabilizer bracket 650 with the engine stabilizingstructure 514 on the bumper assembly 470. The mounting of the bumperassembly 470 to the completed main frame assembly 34, including theupper and lower frame assemblies 30,26 and all respective subassemblycomponents, is seen in FIG. 16.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 16, a rear access door 660 is connected to therear end portion 22 of the loader machine 10 adjacent the bumperassembly 470, tower assemblies 312,314, and radiator assembly 614 whenthe radiator assembly 614 is in the operational position. The rearaccess door 660 is mounted on a hinge joint 668 for swinging between anopen and closed position (not shown). A cover plate 670 is pivotallymounted to the radiator assembly 614 to form a rear hood area 672 of theloader machine 10. A cab assembly 674 is mounted on the front and rearcab mounts 130,464 on the lower and upper frame assemblies 26,30,respectively, for pivotal movement at the rear cab mounts 464 betweenopen and closed positions (not shown). The cab assembly 674 includes agrill area 678 defined adjacent the air flow area 332 on the inner plate320 when the cab assembly 674 is in the closed position (not shown). Thecab assembly 674 includes a roll-over protection as is well-known inloader machines 10. The set of wheels 44 are connected to the wheelmount 546 disposed on the axles 538 in a well-known manner.

The loader machine 10 is filled with fluids in a well-known manner tocomplete the assembly process and establish a functional loader machine10.

Industrial Applicability

The fuel tank 150 is integrated with the lower frame assembly 26 as astructural element to partially define the box-like structure of theforward compartment 194 for improved rigidity. The establishment of thefuel tank 150 as a structural element while functioning as a containerfor fuel effectively utilizes space on the lower frame assembly 26.Additionally, the engine mounting structures 224 are connected to thetop plate 160 of the fuel tank 150 which eliminates additional,non-functional structure used for this purpose to further conservespace.

The side rails 56,60 of the lower frame assembly 26 form the outer walls186,164 of the transmission housings 170 and fuel tank 150 whichimproves efficiency of the manufacturing process by reducing additionalstructure and associated costs. By forming the side rails 56,60 with asmooth bend which extends under the transmission housings 170 and fueltank 150, any welding at the outer surface of the side rails 56,60 iseliminated. The elimination of welds along the outer surface of the siderails 56,60 eliminates welds along the outer sides of the loader machine10 which increases maneuverability since there are no welds to interferewith performance. Additionally, the smooth bend of the side rails 56,60allows the front protective plate 142 to be seated on and connected tothe bottom wall 88 of the side rails 56,60. The position of the frontprotective plate 142, therefore, is further from the ground than thebottom wall 88 which increases the height of the belly of the loadermachine 10 and further improves performance.

The angled portion of the connecting wall 90 and the angled reinforcingplate 290 at the front and rear end portions 48,52, respectively, of thelower frame assembly 26 enhance the performance of the loader machine 10during operation by establishing entry and departure angles for groundclearance.

The front end portions 70 of the side rails 56,60 are connected with thefront wall 100 so that the clearance area 104 allows for the frontmounting of the cab assembly 674 on the lower frame assembly 26. Theshorter length of the side members 350,354 of the upper frame assembly30 ensures that the connection of the front end portions 364 thereofterminate rearward from the front wall 100 of the lower frame assembly26 and do not extend within the mounting clearance area 104. Theincreased height of the front end portions 70 of the side rails 56,60and corresponding structural connection with the front wall 100establishes effective load transfer to the lower frame assembly 26.Loads on the front wall 100, therefore, such as those incurred by theweight of the roll-over protection of the cab assembly 674, aretransferred directly into the lower frame assembly 26 and plurality ofaxles 538.

The formation of the open access and service areas 440,450 permits easeof subassembly for components within the upper frame assembly 30, suchas, for example, the hydraulic tank 610 and radiator assembly 614. Thesubassembly ease is achieved because an assembler (not shown) is able towalk freely from an area outside of the upper frame assembly 30 to thecrossmember assembly 414 between the side members 350,354 without anystructural obstruction therebetween so that connection of the componentsto the upper frame assembly 30 may be easily accomplished.

The mounting of the upper frame assembly 30 to the lower frame assembly26 along the entire length of the side members 350,354 and side rails56,60, respectively, enhances the rigidity of the main frame assembly34. The mounting of the upper frame assembly 30 to the lower frameassembly 26 is accomplished through only a substantially equidistanthorizontal bolting connection therebetween which distributes loadingsubstantially equally along the length of the side members 350,354 andside rails 56,60, strengthening the main frame assembly 34 and virtuallyeliminating stress risers therein. Additionally, the gradual increase inheight of the front end portions 70 of the side rails 56,60 and thecorresponding side rail mounting holes 64 thereon ensures that theloading is equally distributed throughout the length of the loadermachine 10 even with the increased height (H) of the front end portions70. Further, the exclusive connection between the upper and lower frameassemblies 30,26 more efficiently contains engine vibration within thelower frame assembly 26 without transfer to the upper frame assembly 30.

The rear compartment 630 of the main frame assembly 34, due to thecoupling of the open service area 450 of the upper frame assembly 30 andthe rearward compartment 276 of the lower frame assembly 26, providesenhanced access to the engine 560 and radiator assembly 614, as seen inFIG. 14. Further, the rear compartment 630 easily accommodates thepivotal movement of the radiator assembly 614 therein.

The front compartment 624 of the main frame assembly 34 is used as thearea for positioning the operator's legs (not shown) within the loadermachine 10. The front compartment 624 has a box-like structure defined,in part, by the forward compartment 624. The box-like structure providesa rigid front end portion 18 of the loader machine 10 which virtuallyeliminates twisting from side loads, such as that incurred from linkagemovement and axle impact.

The upper reinforcing plate 122 and angled reinforcing plate 290 at thefront and rear end portions 45,52, respectively of the lower frameassembly 26 act as tubular crossmembers for increasing rigidity of theloader machine 10.

The connection of the side members 350,354 with the respective towerassemblies 312,314 provides a solid joint therebetween which furtherenhances the rigidity of the loader machine 10. Additionally, thecrossmember assembly 414 utilizes upper and lower crossmembers 420,424which act as torque tubes for increasing the rigidity of the loadermachine 10.

The side rails 56,60 of the lower frame assembly 26 and respective sidewalls 370 and inner plates 320 of the upper frame assembly 30 arealigned to form a substantially straight load path for the main frameassembly 34 which efficiently transfers loads directly into the lowerframe assembly 26.

The bumper assembly 470 is manufactured with high strengthcharacteristics coupled within the box-like structure to provide aneffective stabilizing structure for the front end portion 564 of theengine 560 after mounting of the rear end portion 568 of the engine 560is completed. The bumper assembly 470 is assembled to the main frameassembly 34 at the end of the assembly sequence so that access to theengine 560 and radiator assembly 614 is not compromised during mountingof the upper frame assembly 30 with the lower frame assembly 26. Theconnection for the engine stabilizing structure 514 is readilyaccessible through the bolt access hole 284 on the rear protective plate270 which improves connection and serviceability thereof. Additionally,the connection between the engine stabilizing structure 514 and theengine 560 through the stabilizer bracket 650 is easily achieved fromoutside the loader machine 10 at the rear end portion 22 as one of thefinal steps in the assembly sequence.

An air flow path for the cooling system 604 of the loader machine 10 isestablished within the structural design. Air from outside the loadermachine 10 is drawn in around the air flow area 332 and grill 678 of thecab assembly 674. The air flows around the hydraulic tank 610 adjacentthe front compartment 624 and then is pulled into the rear compartment630 through the open region 460 between the upper and lower crossmembers420,424 over the engine 560 and radiator assembly 614. The air is thenblown out of the rear compartment 630 at a location adjacent the rearhood 672. Utilizing the rigid structure of the loader machine 10 toestablish an effective air flow path creates a durable and efficientloader machine 10. Further, the air flow path is positioned at the rearof the cab assembly 647 so that air is drawn in behind the operator (notshown) to reduce noise and interference.

Although the features of the invention are demonstrated in themanufacture and assembly of a skid steer loader machine 10, it should berecognized that the lower frame assembly 26 may be completelymanufactured and subassembled for connection with an upper frameassembly 30 for various other types of work machines, such as a lifttruck, tow machine, and the like. The ability to manufacture variouswork machines from a common lower frame assembly 26 decreasesmanufacturing and assembly costs and increases flexibility.

Other aspects, objects and advantages of this invention can be obtainedfrom a study of the drawings, disclosure and the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An upper frame assembly for use in a skid steerloader machine having front and rear end portions, a pair of spaced liftarm assemblies connected at the rear end portion, and a centerlineextending along a midsection thereof, comprising:a pair of spaced towerassemblies positioned on opposite sides of the machine centerline, eachtower assembly defining a spatial region that is adapted for connectionwith a respective lift arm assembly therein; a pair of side members eachhaving front and rear end portions corresponding respectively to thefront and rear end portions of the skid steer loader machine, the rearend portion of the side members being respectively disposed within aportion of each of the spatial regions and connected to the towerassemblies, the front end portion of the side members extendinglongitudinally therefrom; and a crossmember assembly extending betweenthe pair of tower assemblies for connection therewith, the crossmemberassembly being positioned to define with the front end portions of theside members an open access area at the front end portion of the upperframe assembly unobstructed by structural elements of the upper frameassembly so that an open pathway is established from an area outside theupper frame assembly to the crossmember assembly between the sidemembers and to define with the rear end portions of the side members andthe pair of tower assemblies an open service area at the rear endportion of the upper frame assembly which is separated from the openaccess area by the crossmember assembly therebetween.
 2. The upper frameassembly of claim 1, wherein the crossmember assembly includes a framestructure with a cross plate extending between the pair of towerassemblies and upper and lower crossmembers connected to the framestructure and extending along the cross plate, the cross plate definingan open region therethrough disposed between the upper and lowercrossmembers which provides access between the open access area and theopen service area.
 3. The upper frame assembly of claim 2, wherein theupper and lower crossmembers are formed plates which have a channelshape with the upper crossmember having an upper surface.
 4. The upperframe assembly of claim 3, including a mounting structure connected onthe frame structure at a juncture between the upper surface of the uppercrossmember and the cross plate.
 5. The upper frame assembly of claim 1,wherein each of the tower assemblies include an inner plate and an outerformed plate defining the spatial region therebetween, each of the towerassemblies defining upper and middle pinjoint openings extending throughthe inner and outer plates and each of the tower assemblies beingrigidly supported by a plurality of strengthening members connectedbetween the inner and outer plates.
 6. The upper frame assembly of claim5, wherein each of the side members are formed to define a side wallwith a plurality of mounting holes extending along the length thereofand an upper wall substantially perpendicular with the side wall, theupper wall including a bent flange extending substantially therealongwith a mounting surface substantially parallel with the side wall. 7.The upper frame assembly of claim 6, wherein each of the inner plates ofthe tower assemblies is connected to the upper wall of the respectiveside member along a portion of the side member and each of the outerplates of the tower assemblies has a middle portion which is connectedto the flange on the upper wall of the respective side member along aportion of the side member and has a lower portion which is connected tothe side wall through one of the plurality of strengthening membersconnected therebetween to define a fender compartment.
 8. The upperframe assembly of claim 7, wherein each of the outer plates of the towerassemblies has a contoured shape and a section of each of the side wallsof the side members at the rear end portion thereof define a contouredshape substantially correspondent with the contoured shape of therespective outer plates of the tower assemblies proximate the connectiontherewith.
 9. The upper frame assembly of claim 8, wherein each of theside walls of the side members at the rear end portion thereof define anassembly access opening therethrough which allows access between theopen service area and the fender compartment and a support plate isconnected to each of the side walls of the side members at the front endportion thereof.
 10. The upper frame assembly of claim 1, wherein theopen service area has a substantially unobstructed height and depth. 11.The upper frame assembly of claim 5, wherein the outer plates of each ofthe pair of tower assemblies has a predetermined height and width andthe open service area having a height and depth substantially equal tothe respective height and width of the outer plates, the open servicearea being substantially unobstructed by structural elements of theupper frame assembly between the height and depth thereof.